This invention relates generally to the field of handgrips utilized on firearms, and more particularly to handgrips on long-barreled firearms, and even more particularly to handgrips mounted onto long-barreled firearms having elongated handguards equipped with or adapted to receive rails for the attachment of accessories to the firearm.
Long-barreled firearms, e.g., rifles, shotguns, tactical assault weapons, etc., typically require the user to position one hand along the forward portion of the firearm for control and aiming purposes. In some instances, the firearm is manufactured with a grip or other body structure suitable for grasping present on the forward portion. For example, with semi-automatic or automatic rifles capable of rapid firing, such as for example AR-15's, the firearms are provided with an elongated handguard, usually generally polygonal or circular in cross-section, that extends over the majority of the forward portion of the firearm. In addition to providing a structure to be gripped by the shooter, the handguard protects the users hand from the heat generated in rapid firing. The handguard also provides a structure to which accessories, such as for example, aiming scopes, laser sights or flashlights, may be mounted.
A common system for mounting accessories to the handguard is to utilize one or more elongated brackets, mounts or platforms, commonly referred to as rails, that are either manufactured as part of the handguard or are subsequently permanently or removably secured to the handguard. The rail is an elongated bracket having a main body with a generally planar outer surface, a pair of parallel, elongated edge members located on opposite sides of the main body, and a plurality of transverse slots disposed in the planar outer surface. As used herein, the term “rail” shall refer to the full bracket, mount or platform structure or member. Thus, the edge members extend parallel to the central axis of the rifle barrel bore and the slots extend in the direction perpendicular to the central axis. For a firearm with a single rail, the rail is typically located along the top of the firearm. Such rails are well known in the art, two examples being the Picatinny rail and the Weaver rail.
The edge members extend from the main body of the rail such that the distance between the edge members is greater than the width of the main body. In transverse cross-section, each rail presents an undercut, inwardly angled, first surface, and typically presents an outwardly facing, inwardly angled, second surface, such that the junction of the first and second surfaces forms an angle. The undercut first surfaces of the rails define the retention surfaces to retain accessories having correspondingly configured channels, whereby the accessories may be slipped onto the rails in the longitudinal direction.
For attachment of accessories or additional rail mounts, some handguards are often provided with a large number of spaced and aligned key slots adapted to receive and retain button tabs located on the interior side of the accessory or rail to be mounted to the firearm, the button tabs being shaped, sized and spaced to correspond to the shape, size and spacing of the key slots. Alternatively, rails may be affixed to the handguards using threaded fasteners driven into threaded apertures provided in the handguard.
The standard handguard structures, while providing basic gripping means and protection from heat, are not optimally designed. For example, the forward hand of the shooter is not provided with a specialized configuration or structure, i.e., a handgrip, to provide a more secure hold on the firearm. Even if a handgrip structure is present in the manufactured firearm, the design suffers from the inability of the shooter to relocate the handgrip forward or rearward along the firearm to account for individual arm length. Additionally, individual shooters may prefer a softer or harder over-mold rubber than that which is provided, or may preferred customized grip configurations. Therefore, to address the problems outlined above, it is an object of this invention provide a handgrip adapted to be mounted onto a rail and a handgrip assembly comprising one or more rails mountable onto the handguard of a firearm. It is a further object to provide a handgrip having an improved outer surface configuration, whereby the one side of the handgrip is configured with multiple angled grooves to accommodate the fingers of the shooter and the other side of the handgrip is configured with an elongated channel to accommodate the thumb of the shooter.